Allegheny County entering 'new phase' of the pandemic, officials say

Allegheny County officials on Wednesday said the region soon will move into a new phase of the covid-19 pandemic, as infection levels drop and the state braces for loosened restrictions next week.

“We’re going to be following the governor’s guidelines where they are,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said at a virtual news briefing. “It’s good news, but we want to make sure people follow the guidelines. Don’t go too far. Don’t go beyond what’s going to be coming out.”

Dr. Debra Bogen, director of the county health department, said the county’s daily average of new cases has dropped to 170 cases a day this week, a milestone considering the daily case count has not been consistently under 200 since October.

“And the numbers will go down even further if we continue to get people vaccinated,” Bogen said.

Bogen has said in the past several weeks that Allegheny County was in a “fourth wave” of covid infection levels. On Wednesday, she said the numbers are encouraging, but the county won’t be “out of the woods” until the vast majority of people are vaccinated.

The proportion of the county’s population receiving covid vaccines is increasing. Nearly 70% of adults in the county have gotten at least one shot, and almost 50% have gotten two shots.

The progress in the county coincides with Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement Tuesday that capacity at indoor and outdoor event spaces can increase next week. All other restrictions aside from the state’s mask mandate are to be lifted on Memorial Day.

“We, here in Allegheny County and all of Pennsylvania, are moving into a new phase of the pandemic,” Bogen said, reflecting on the various waves in infections and public health restrictions the county has endured the past 14 months. “As with other phases, we don’t know for sure what’s to come. Each phase requires a different response, and we must learn and make decisions, even with limited knowledge.”

She and Fitzgerald expressed optimism Wednesday but repeated pleas that residents get vaccinated and continue wearing masks in public.

“Let’s not merely dream about returning to normalcy,” Bogen said. “Let’s make it a reality.”